Thursday, December 1, 2022
Lou was my mom’s twin sister, and because of that it was as if I had two moms for long periods of my life. I was lucky to have her so close. Her enthusiasm for art, her love for animals, and her awareness and appreciation for what is really important in life are all things I will remember about her, and are things she helped instill in me. Throughout this most recent fight with cancer, I naively assumed that she would get through the fight on her feet just like the previous time, and that she would always be here with us. When we found out that wasn’t the case it was a shock and it still is weeks later.
There are a lot of memories that come to mind of Lou. The preeminent theme of them all is how loving she was. When I saw her for the last time three weeks ago, she was in hospice care, and was very week, but strong enough to break her dessert cookie in half, reach over and say “You’ve got to try this, honey”. I’ll remember how she was always at the door with a wave and a smile, or even outside if the weather was nice enough, about as soon as I opened the car door to step out when stopping by her house. I’ll remember all of the things I either didn’t like doing, or told myself I didn’t like doing, as a kid like road trips to antique fairs, or our weekly visit to church, but now I look back at them for what they were, great times with loving family, and that I’m lucky Lou was a part of it.
We will always miss you, Lou, but your artwork, our memories, and our love for you will live on. I hope you find eternal peace in heaven. Love Phil